Pennsylvania Mother Faces Child Endangerment Charges After Son Is Spotted on 20-Foot Roof Grabbing Power Lines

Amanda Rivera faces felony charges in Blairsville after her 8-year-old son was filmed on a roof grabbing power lines while she was allegedly running errands.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 21, 2026, 6:56 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PEOPLE

A High Altitude Rescue in Extreme Weather Conditions

Law enforcement in Blairsville, Pennsylvania, has initiated criminal proceedings against Amanda Rivera following a harrowing incident involving her young son. On March 15, neighbors alerted authorities after witnessing an 8 year old boy scale the 20 foot tall roof of a local residence. Bystander accounts and video evidence provided to the police depict the child not only navigating the steep incline during a period of extremely high winds but also reaching out to grab live power lines connected to the structure. By the time officers arrived at the scene, the boy had managed to climb back through a window, avoiding a potentially fatal fall or electrocution.

Parental Absence During a Hazardous Domestic Incident

The subsequent investigation revealed that Rivera was not present at the home when the emergency occurred. According to court documents, the 38 year old mother informed investigators that she was currently in the process of moving the family to a new residence and had left the children alone to run errands and manage tasks at the new property. While a 15 year old sibling was reportedly at the home, the younger child was able to exit the living space through an upper story window. Local residents expressed a mix of sympathy for the stresses of moving and alarm at the lack of direct supervision that allowed the dangerous rooftop excursion.

Formal Criminal Charges and Judicial Oversight

Rivera was taken into custody on Sunday and formally charged the following day with two counts of endangering the welfare of children. The Blairsville Police Department presented evidence to the court indicating that the mother’s decision to leave her children unattended created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 15 before Magisterial District Judge Robert Steele Bell Sr., where the court will determine if the prosecution has sufficient grounds to move forward with a trial in the Indiana County court system.